Ramayana films

Sita Sings the Blues

Tuesday 8 July 2008

(Nina Paley, USA , 2008, 82 mins)

Sita is a goddess separated from her beloved Lord and husband Rama. Nina is an animator whose husband moves to India, then dumps her by email. Three hilarious shadow puppets narrate both ancient tragedy and modern comedy in this dazzlingly animated new interpretation of the Ramayana. Set to the 1920's jazz vocals of Annette Hanshaw, Sita Sings the Blues earns its tagline as "the greatest break-up story ever told".

Directed, written, produced, designed and animated by Nina Paley, who will introduce the screening.

Ramayana - The Legend of Prince Rama

Tuesday 15 July 2008

(Yugo Sako, Ram Mohan, Japan/India, 1992, 170mins)

A fabulous animated version of the Ramayana that combines the visual flair of Japanese manga and anime (not unlike the work of Spirited Away director Miyazaki) with Indian art forms, resulting a spectacular epic of battles scenes, superhuman feats and magical weaponry that anticipates modern CGI epics, yet remains faithful to Valmiki's original. Suitable for all ages.

Opera Jawa

Wednesday 10 September 2008

A film hailed as 'extraordinary', 'superbly conceived' and 'a masterpiece' in the UK press, this visually sumptuous music drama by Indonesia 's leading director is a reworking of The Abduction of Sita. Set to gamelan, electronics and the blues, the climatic episodes of the Ramayana epic blaze with political heat and sensuous imagination.